dodge



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

J. M. DODGE.

GONVBYER.

Patented June 13. 1893.

No. 499,525l

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

JA. M. DODGE. CONVBYBB..

No. 499,525@ Patented June 13, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. DODGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINK-BELT ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

-coNvEYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,525, dated June 1.3, 1893. Application filed January 23, 1893. Serial No. 459,420. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES M. DODGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a conveyer of jointed rods in such a manner that the flights will have free movement, and the joints Will allow the conveyer to readily turn curves or pass around a drive wheel or carrier. This object I attain in the following manner, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l, is a longitudinal View partly in section illustrating my improved conveyer. Fig. 2, is a sectional view on the line 1 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one section of the conveyer showing the parts de-v tached, some of said parts being in section. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, are views illustrating modifications of my invention.

A are a series of rods made in the present instance in the form of bolts, having their ends a, a so shaped that when they are applied to their sockets, they will not turn, and I preferably form a head a2 on one end, and thread the opposite end a3 beyond the portion a to which is fitted a nut B, but the parts may be riveted, or other means of fastening may be employed without departing from my invention. The head c2, as well as the portion a, is adapted to an opening d in a shell D, the opening corresponding to the shape of the portion a and head 0.2, so as to prevent the rod A turning in the shell. In some instances only one part may be shaped to correspond with the opening d. Secured to the shell is a cap D. The inner portions of the shell and cap are shaped to form a socket for the ball E, an opening e being formed in the ball to receive the shaped portion a of the bolt, and the nut B. The opening d in the cap D is dared so as to allow for the free movement of the bolt to which is attached the ball E. The cap, as shown in Figs. l and 2, as Well as in Fig. 3, has a fiange f corresponding to a iiange fon the shell D, and 'clamp bolts F provided with suitable nuts, pass through the iianges and secure the cap to the shell. In some instances, the fiangefor the iiange f', may project sufficiently to form a flight shown in Fig. 4, and in dotted lines in Fig. l, or a separable iiight G may be clamped between the cap and shell as shown in full lines in Fig. l, and this flight may be made of sheet metal if desired. The flight may be circular as shown in Fig. 2, or square as shown by dotted lines in said figure, or may be shaped as shown in Fig. 8, depending altogether upon the use for Which the conveyer is intended, and the shape of the trough or conveyer casing. l

In Fig. 4t, I have shown the screw-threaded periphery adapted to the threaded casing, and when necessary a set screw may be used to lock the cap to the casing. In this figure, I have also shown a steel bushing d2 for the cap, against which the ball bears.

In some instances, the head of the rod A may be spherical as shown in Fig. 4, and the nut applied to the opposite end of the rod, and adapted to a socket in the shell D preventing the nut turning on the rod. It will also be observed that when a separable ball is used 'as in Fig. I, the nut is prevented from turning on the rod, as the portion a as well as the nut, is adapted to the opening e corresponding in shape to the nut and the portion et. Thus the liability of the parts becoming detached is entirely avoided.

In some instances the head of the nut may be shaped to continue the spherical line of the ball as shown in Fig. 7.

In Figs. 5 and 6, I have shown the cap secap having a cured to the shell by'a bayonet joint, and when the cap is in position the two parts are locked together by a bolt or pin.

In Figs. 7 and 8, I have shown the shell or socket formed of two halves secured together by bolts. In this instance, the cap forms part of the shell.

Fig. 9, illustrates a method of using rods with balls at each end. In this instance the flight or joint has a double socket.

While I prefer to make each joint a Hight of the conveyer, in some instances some of the llights may be omitted where very few fiights are required in the length of the conveyer. v

It will be seen that by this construction, a conveyer can be made very cheaply, and in the strongest possible manner, as the links used are simply headed bars, and when it is required to renew the joints, the parts of the socket or the ball itself, can be replaced with very little expense, and the parts can be kept in stock, and nights ot different shapes can be attached as required.

I prefer to rigidly secure the several rods to their casings, so that the flights forming part ot' the casing or attached thereto, will be drawn in lineowing to the leverage, as the joint of the link is at the extreme end of the rod; differing in this particular from the ordinary link conveyer and Wire rope conveyer.

I claim as my inventionl. In a conveyer, the combination of a se- .t ries of rods connected togetherby flights flexibly jointed to said rods, substantially as described.

2. In a conveyer, the combination of a series of rods and flights, with ball and socket connection between each rod and one of the flights, substantially as described.

3. In a conveyer, the combination of the flights with a series of rods each having a ball at one end and a socket casing at the other end, the ball of each rod of the series being adapted to the socket casing of the adjoining rod, substantially as described.

4. The combination in aconveyer, of a flight, a socket therein, a rod rigidly secured to said flight, and a ball adapted to the socket, and to which is secured another rod, substantially as described.

5. The combination in a conveyer, of a series of sockets, a series of rods rigidly attached to the said sockets, and a series of balls attached to the opposite ends of said rods and mounted in the socket casing, substantially as described.

6. The combination of the series of balls and socket casings, the rods connecting the same and flights secured to said socket casings, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the rods A, a shell in-which the head of the rod is mounted and prevented from turning, with a ball E adapted to said shell, and in which the end of a rod is mounted and prevented from turning in said ball, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a rod having at one end -a head and portion a, and at the opposite a portion a and screw threaded portion as, with a ball adapted to the portion a', and a nut adapted to the threaded portion and also adapted to the'ball, a socket having an opening in which the head of the rod is mounted, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the rod, a casing D secured to one end of said rod, a ball E secured to the opposite end of the rod, a cap for said casing in which the ball of the adjoining rod is adapted, with means for securing the cap to the casing, substantially as described.

10. The combination of the rod, a casing D adapted to one end of said rod, a ball E adapted to the opposite end of the rod, a cap for said casing, with a flight clamped between the cap and casing, and means for clamping the cap to the casing and flight, substantially as described.

In testimony Whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES M. DODGE.

Witnesses:

RICHARD W. YERKEs, JAMES B. CRAWFORD. 

